Slidable mobile bridge

ABSTRACT

A shiftable mobile bridge for use between a quay and a ship in which a rotatable roller is attached to an end of the main bridge gangway adjacent the quay. The roller can be moved horizontally or vertically by appropriate hydraulic or gravity devices, along an inclined quay face as the main bridge gangway is moved inwardly and outwardly from the quay in a generally horizontal direction. The outboard end of the gangway can also be moved vertically to accommodate differences in level between ship and shore.

United States Patent 1191 Mori et a1.

[54] SLIDABLE MOBILE BRIDGE [75] Inventors: Kunio Mori, Shinagawa-ku,Tokyo; Yoshio Shirage, Fujisawa-shi, Kanagawa-ken, both of Japan [73]Assignee: Nippon Kokan Kabushiki Kaisha,

Tokyo, Japan [22] Filed: Sept. 21, 1970 [21] Appl. No.: 74,070

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data Dec. 28, 1969 Japan ..44/105078[52] US. Cl ..l4/71 [51] Int. Cl. ..E01d 15/10 [58] Field of Search..14/43, 71, 72, 73; 114/435 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS2,626,411 1/1953 Palmer ..14/71 Feb. 13, 1973 1,619,678 3/1927 Prinz..14 43 2,188,554 1 1940 Marianno ..14/71x 2,908,024 10/1959 Holleen..14 71 3,027,580 4/1962 Haak ..14 71 Primary Examiner-Nile C. Byers,Jr. Attorney-Steinberg 8L Blake [57] ABSTRACT A shiftable mobile bridgefor use between a quay and a ship in which a rotatable roller isattached to an end of the main bridge gangway adjacent the quay. Theroller can be moved horizontally or vertically by appropriate hydraulicor gravity devices, along an inclined quay face as the main bridgegangway is moved inwardly and outwardly from the quay in a generallyhorizontal direction. The outboard end of the gangway can also be movedvertically to accommodate differences in level between ship and shore.

8 Claims, 17 Drawing Figures PAIENTEUFEBIS ma 3.715.769

SHEET 2 OF 5 SLIDABLE MOBILE BRIDGE This invention relates to mobilebridges for loading an unloading automobiles and passengers andconnecting ferry boats and a quay.

In the conventional mobile bridges of this kind, one end of the bridgeis rotatably mounted on a shaft to turn about an axis at the quay andwhen the boat comes alongside the quay, the bridge is raised up or downand supported by the boat. In such a conventional bridge, shocks such aswhen the boat comes alongside are not absorbed and thus may causetrouble. In addition, in the type of ferry boat wherein a part of thebow opens up to load the vehicles, opening of the doors is hindered bythe girders of bridge.

The present invention aims to obviate these defects of the prior art andwill now be described more in detail, reference being made to theaccompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of one embodiment of the invention showing thebridge retracted;

FIG. 2 is a cross section of the embodiment of FIG. 1;

FIGS. 3 and 4 are plan and cross-section views respectively of theembodiment of FIGS. 1 and 2 show ing the bridge in extended position;

FIG. 5 is a schematic transverse sectional elevation of the structure ofFIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram for a position correction means;

FIGS. 7, 8 and 9 are the explanatory sketches for the retraction deviceof the mobile bridge;

FIG. 10 is a plan view of another embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 11 is a cross section of the embodiment of FIG. 10;

FIGS. 12 and 13 are plan and cross-section views of the embodiment ofFIGS. 10 and 11, shown in extended position; 7

FIG. 14 is a cross section showing another embodiment of the elevatingapparatus of the mobile bridge; and

FIGS. l5, l6, and 17 are explanatory diagrams showing the operation ofthe invention as the ferry comes alongside the quay.

Rotating roller 2 attached to the inner end of gangway a l of the mobilebridge is guided for rolling movement on the inclined guide face aformed by the quay and is moved vertically by the elevating means 3situated at the front or outer part of the bridge. The inclined guideface of the quay has an outer end which is situated at a lower elevationthan its opposed inner end. This inclined guide face a has a pair ofopposed side edges, and the quay has a pair of opposed side surfaces bextending vertically upwardly from these opposed side edges of theinclined guide face a. At the main bridge gangway 1 can be the same timethe main bridge girder 1 can be moved longitudinally between extended(FIGS. 3 and 4) and retracted (FIGS. 1 and 2) positions by the operationof a horizontal moving means 5 attached to said girder 1 and a fixedplate 4 on the dock. Preferably, the horizontal moving means 5 is adouble acting hydraulic cylinder. A position correcting means 6 engagesthe vertical surfaces b which extend upwardly from the opposed sideedges of inclined guide face a and the girder 1 in such a way as toadjustably move the girder 1 laterally in a horizontal the saidsupporting girder 7 which extends beneath and supports main bridgegangway l, and guide rollers 11 are provided on both sides, at theeente'r,'f'ront and rear of girder 7. A shackle 12 is provided betweenthe elevating means 8 or 9 and the support girder 7 to give flexibilitythereto and to avoid maladjustment by lateral load.

The horizontal moving means 5, for shifting the said gangway to and fro,is equipped with two hydraulic oil cylinders 13, 14 at each side of thebase of the gangway 1, cylinders 13 being fixed to the gangway l asshown in FIGS. 1, 2, and 7 and having a telescopic rod in the directionof the receiving plate 4 and another telescopic rod 13b in the directionof shiftable receiving means 15. Another cylinder 14 is screwed at oneend thereof to said shiftable receiving means 15, and to a step orshoulder 16 formed on both side walls b of inclined guide face a, at theother end thereof. The shiftable receiving means 15 is guided by rollers18 along 9 guide means 17 formed on the wall b in :such a way as toshift means 15 with respect to said shoulder 16. The guide means 17takes the form of a pair of upwardly directed horizontal shouldersformed in the surfaces b and extending rearwardly from' the verticalshoulders 16 which are formed in the surfaces b, respectively. Therollers 18 roll along the horizontal shoulders 17 which form a guidemeans for the receiving means 15. Thus, the receiving means 15 is movedto and fro by the actuating cylinders 13 and 14. Four positioncorrection means 6 are attached to the gangway 1 on both sides thereofin the front and the rear as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the detailedconstruction of which are as indicated in FIG. 6. In FIG. 6, mobile body19 having a rotatable ball roller 20 is supported by the lower side ofthe gangway 1 and constructed in such a way as to move toward and awayfrom the surface b by the action of hydraulic cylinder 21. Accordingly,when the ferry boat comes alongside the quay with its center offset fromthe gangway l, or when the gangway 1 supported by the ferry boatdeviates from the normal position as the gangway moves with the boat,then guide roller 20 is placed to the surface b of the quay by actuatingsaid cylinder 21. to correct the position of the girder in the lateraldirection.

When the ferry boat comes alongside the quay and opens its door to beconnected to the mobile bridge, the hydraulic pressure moving device 5slides the gangway 1 toward the direction of the ferry. The movingdevice 5 is actuated by bringing the end of the rod 13a of one of thecylinders 13 to contact the receiving plate 4 and brings the apparatusinto the position shown in FIG. 7 and the girder 1 slides toward theferry.

When the girder 1 reaches a predetermined position, the foot board 24 isplaced at the rear of the gangway 1 as in FIG. 16 and the support girder7 is lowered by the elevating means 3 to support and fix the outboardend of the gangway l on the ferry boat as is shown in FIGS. 4 and 17,and the elevating means 3 is further lowered to completely disconnectthe support gangway 7 from the gangway l. The cylinder 13 is operated todisengage the drawing device from the receiving plate 4, and slide theshiftable receiving means 15 toward the end of the cylinder 14 todisconnect the gangway from the quay. Thus, the gangway 1 will besupported by the inclined guide face a only by the rotatable roller 2and follows the movement of the ferry boat horizontally or verticallysmoothly. The four position correcting means 6 will act as guide rollersby contacting the rotatable ball roller at the tip of the mobil body 19with surface b when the gangway 1 slides so that when the gangway 1reaches a predetermined position, the cylinder 21 is actuated todisengage the roller 20 from the quay.

The above operation is conducted when the gangway 1 moves toward theferry and is supported. When the ferry leaves the quay, the gangway 1 israised as shown in FIG. 16, and the horizontal moving means 5 is used tocreate a situation as shown in FIGS. 1, 2, and 15. The operation toreturn the gangway 1 is actuated by the hydraulic cylinder 14 as isclear from FIG. 9. The cylinder 14 is brought forward to bring theshiftable receiving body 15 backward and to bring the gangway backwardvia another cylinder 13.

Another embodiment of the present invention, shown in FIGS. 10 to 13,comprises the guide face a at a different level and an elevating means3a at the inboard of the girder similar to the elevating device 8 at theoutboard end, the rest being identical to the first embodiment of theinvention described herein. The same numbers in the figures indicate thesame parts therein.

The mobile bridge of the present invention may be used for conventionaltype ferry boats as well as ferry boats of which part of the bow opensupward. Moreover, because there is no fixed connection between thegangway and the quay, as in the conventional type mobile bridges, it ispossible to move the gangway forward to be supported by the ferry boatand to allow the gangway to move smoothly with the horizontal andvertical movement of the boats thereby preventing accidental damage tothe driving means and the like. The gangway is so constructed that it ismovable in a lateral direction by actuating the position correctionapparatus so that close alignment of the ferry boat to the quay is notas important as in the conventional art.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property orprivilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. For use between ship and shore, a quay having an inclined surfaceprovided with an outer end situated at a lower elevation than an opposedinner end thereof, said inclined surface having a pair of opposed sideedges and side quay having a pair of vertical surfaces respectivelyextending upwardly from said opposed side edges, a main bridge gangwayadapted to extend between said quay and a ship, said main bridge gangwayhaving an inner quay end carrying a rotatable roller means for movingalong said inclined surface of said quay between said vertical surfacesthereof, moving means operatively connected with said quay end of saidgangway for moving the latter between a retracted position and anextended position where the outer end of the gangway is adapted toconnect with a ship, and elevating means adjacent the outer ship end ofsaid gangway for raising and lowering the latter end of said gangway,for placing said ship end of said gangway in engagement with a ship whensaid moving means moves said gangway to said extended position thereofand for disengaging said ship end of said gangway from a ship when saidmoving means moves said gangway to said retracted position thereof, saidmoving means being operatively connected with said gangway for releasingthe latter for free rolling movement at said rotatable roller meansalong said inclined surface of said quay after said ship end of saidgangway has been engaged with a ship so that said gangway is free tofollow vertical movement of a ship with respect to said quay whileremaining in engagement with a ship.

2. The combination of claim 1 and wherein said elevating means includesrotatable support rollers on which said gangway is supported by saidelevating means.

3. The combination of claim 1 and wherein a pair of guide means arerespectively formed in said vertical surfaces of said quay and coactwith said moving mean and inclined surface of said quay for guiding saidgangway during movement of the latter between said retracted andextended positions.

4. The combination of claim 1 and wherein said moving means includes aplurality of hydraulic cylinders.

5. The combination of claim 1 and wherein said elevating means includeshydraulic pressure devices.

6. The combination of claim 1 and wherein said elevating means includeswinches.

7. For use between ship and shore, a quay having an inclined surfaceprovided with an outer end situated at a lower elevation than an opposedinner end thereof, said inclined surface having a pair of opposed sideedges and said quay having a pair of vertical surfaces respectivelyextending upwardly from said opposed side edges, a main bridge gangwayadapted to extend between said quay and a ship, said main bridge gangwayhaving an inner quay end carrying a rotatable roller means for movingalong said inclined surface of said quay between said vertical surfacesthereof, moving means operatively connected with said quay end of saidgangway for moving the latter between a retracted position and anextended position where the outer end of the gangway is adapted toconnect with a ship, and elevating means adjacent the outer ship end ofsaid gangway for raising and lowering the latter end of said gangway, aposition correcting means being carried by said gangway and coactingwith said vertical surfaces of said quay for laterally adjusting saidgangway between said vertical surfaces.

8. For use between ship and shore, a quay having an inclined surfaceprovided with an outer end situated at a lower elevation than an opposedinner end thereof, said inclined surface having a pair of opposed sideedges and said quay having a pair of vertical surfaces respectivelyextending upwardly from said opposed side edges, a main bridge gangwayadapted to extend between said quay and a ship, said main bridge gangwayhaving an inner quay end carrying a rotatable roller means for movingalong said inclined surface of said quay between said vertical surfacesthereof, moving means operatively connected with said quay end of saidgangway for moving the latter between a retracted position and anextended position where the outer end of the gangway is adapted toconnect with a ship, and elevating means adjacent the outer ship end ofsaid gangway for raising and lowering the latter and of said gangway, apair of guide means being respectively formed in said vertical surfacesof said quay and coacting with said moving means and inclined surface ofsaid quay for guiding said gangway during movement of the latter betweensaid retracted and extended positions, said moving means including apair of shiftable receiving means movable along said guide means, a pairof hydraulic cylinders connected to said pair of receiving means and tosaid vertical surfaces of said quay forwardly of said receiving meansfor moving said pair of receiving means longitudinally of said gangway,and an additional pair of hydraulic cylinders fixedly carried by anadditional pair of hydraulic cylinders fixedly carried by said gangwayat the region of said inner quay end

1. For use between ship and shore, a quay having an inclined surfaceprovided with an outer end situated at a lower elevation than an opposedinner end thereof, said inclined surface having a pair of opposed sideedges and side quay having a pair of vertical surfaces respectivelyextending upwardly from said opposed side edges, a main bridge gangwayadapted to extend between said quay and a ship, said main bridge gangwayhaving an inner quay end carrying a rotatable roller means for movingalong said inclined surface of said quay between said vertical surfacesthereof, moving means operatively connected with said quay end of saidgangway for moving the latter between a retracted position and anextended position where the outer end of the gangway is adapted toconnect with a ship, and elevating means adjacent the outer ship end ofsaid gangway for raising and lowering the latter end of said gangway,for placing said ship end of said gangway in engagement with a ship whensaid moving means moves said gangway to said extended position thereofand for disengaging said ship end of said gangway from a ship when saidmoving means moves said gangway to said retracted position thereof, saidmoving means being operatively connected with said gangway for releasingthe latter for free rolling movement at said rotatable roller meansalong said inclined surface of said quay after said ship end of saidgangway has been engaged with a ship so that said gangway is free tofollow vertical movement of a ship with respect to said quay whileremaining in engagement with a ship.
 1. For use between ship and shore,a quay having an inclined surface provided with an outer end situated ata lower elevation than an opposed inner end thereof, said inclinedsurface having a pair of opposed side edges and side quay having a pairof vertical surfaces respectively extending upwardly from said opposedside edges, a main bridge gangway adapted to extend between said quayand a ship, said main bridge gangway having an inner quay end carrying arotatable roller means for moving along said inclined surface of saidquay between said vertical surfaces thereof, moving means operativelyconnected with said quay end of said gangway for moving the latterbetween a retracted position and an extended position where the outerend of the gangway is adapted to connect with a ship, and elevatingmeans adjacent the outer ship end of said gangway for raising andlowering the latter end of said gangway, for placing said ship end ofsaid gangway in engagement with a ship when said moving means moves saidgangway to said extended position thereof and for disengaging said shipend of said gangway from a ship when said moving means moves saidgangway to said retracted position thereof, said moving means beingoperatively connected with said gangway for releasing the latter forfree rolling movement at said rotatable roller means along said inclinedsurface of said quay after said ship end of said gangway has beenengaged with a ship so that said gangway is free to follow verticalmovement of a ship with respect to said quay while remaining inengagement with a ship.
 2. The combination of claim 1 and wherein saidelevating means includes rotatable support rollers on which said gangwayis supported by said elevating means.
 3. The combination of claim 1 andwherein a pair of guide means are Respectively formed in said verticalsurfaces of said quay and coact with said moving mean and inclinedsurface of said quay for guiding said gangway during movement of thelatter between said retracted and extended positions.
 4. The combinationof claim 1 and wherein said moving means includes a plurality ofhydraulic cylinders.
 5. The combination of claim 1 and wherein saidelevating means includes hydraulic pressure devices.
 6. The combinationof claim 1 and wherein said elevating means includes winches.
 7. For usebetween ship and shore, a quay having an inclined surface provided withan outer end situated at a lower elevation than an opposed inner endthereof, said inclined surface having a pair of opposed side edges andsaid quay having a pair of vertical surfaces respectively extendingupwardly from said opposed side edges, a main bridge gangway adapted toextend between said quay and a ship, said main bridge gangway having aninner quay end carrying a rotatable roller means for moving along saidinclined surface of said quay between said vertical surfaces thereof,moving means operatively connected with said quay end of said gangwayfor moving the latter between a retracted position and an extendedposition where the outer end of the gangway is adapted to connect with aship, and elevating means adjacent the outer ship end of said gangwayfor raising and lowering the latter end of said gangway, a positioncorrecting means being carried by said gangway and coacting with saidvertical surfaces of said quay for laterally adjusting said gangwaybetween said vertical surfaces.